Vindication
by Hissing Willows
Summary: The Clans have had a moon of peace since the Dark Forest Battle. Old grudges and distrust are hard to dispel, however. When cats from all Clans are brutally murdered, blame naturally falls to the surviving trainees. While the leaders scramble to maintain what remains of their truce, old trainees are forced to band together to find the true murderer - before someone else gets hurt.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE - OUTCASTS**

The sun was setting in the horizon.

It sank down below the grassy green hilltops. Thin clouds stretched across the sky, and the descending sun cast warm hues of orange and pink across them. Breezepelt sat upon the crest of a hill, taking in the view. He stared down towards the vast lake, its usually blue surface reflecting the warm colors of the sunset. His thin tail was curled tightly around his paws, his teeth set. If he did not know what was coming, perhaps he would have found the sight beautiful. He may have sat until it was dark, admiring the peaceful beauty of the sunset.

But alas, Breezepelt knew all too well what was on its way. He stared out at the lake, taking in the image before him of the green moorland and the orange lake. He took a deep breath.

"_Father, play with me!"_

_A silent stare. He shakes his head. He turns away to pad to the deputy, and requests a patrol assignment._

Breezepelt let out his breath. They were coming.

"_Why can't you pay attention to him? He needs his father!"_

"_I never had my father. I turned out fine."_

"_Clearly not! Breezekit wants to know you, and you always turn your back on him!"_

Breezepelt shut his eyes. His heart clenched with rage. Soon the sun would be gone, and darkness would descend upon the Clans. Upon WindClan. Upon _Crowfeather._

"_Look at this rabbit I caught! I bet it can feed half the tribe."_

_Crowfeather's eyes linger on him for a heartbeat. Silence. He looks away, turning his attention to the ThunderClan apprentice. "Nice pigeon, Lionpaw."_

A growl of fury forced its way up Breezepelt's throat and through his gritted teeth. He opened his eyes. The light was dimming quickly. Hesitation stirred in his belly. He thought of Nightcloud, his beloved mother. _She can handle herself, _he told himself. _I'll keep an eye on her._

He thought of Boulderpaw, his clever apprentice. The young tom was not a Dark Forest Trainee—loyalty to the Warrior Code burned too strongly within him. But Breezepelt still felt responsible for the young cat, and he didn't want him to be a casualty in the battle. _I told them not him, _he thought. _He'll be safe._

He thought of Heathertail, the love of his life.

"_I… I'm sorry, Breezepelt. I'm not ready to have a mate, not yet. Things have just been so tense lately, and I—"_

Breezepelt's claws slid out and dug into the grass. He had tried to confess his feelings for Heathertail a quarter moon ago, and she turned him down. The rejection had been a great blow to him. _She doesn't want me. Who cares what happens to her! _In his heart, he knew he cared, but pain stabbed at his chest as he recalled their last conversation. _I would have left training for her. I would have stopped it all. But she doesn't want me… and neither does WindClan._

His thoughts returned to Crowfeather, and any hesitation burned away. Breezepelt's eyes narrowed to slits. _Crowfeather… your time is over. WindClan saw how he acted and never did a thing… they never punished him for taking that medicine cat as a mate. They can all burn!_

It was nearly dark now. An unusually cold breeze blew from the direction of the lake. It buffeted Breezepelt, ruffling through his short pelt. The chill cut through him to the bone. He shivered. _This is it,_ he thought. _No going back now._

He lifted his gaze out towards the lake. A dark mist was rising from the water, thick and black. Not fog—but a dense cloud of _smoke_. Breezepelt smelled ash and toadstools and decay. The scent should have repulsed him, but it only stirred up anticipation in his chest. He stood as the thick smoke continued to pour from the lake.

_Here they come._

* * *

Breezepelt awoke gasping. Someone was shaking him, but moved aside as his eyes flew open. He panted heavily, his amber eyes wide and his pelt bristled.

"Steady, Breezepelt," Sunstrike meowed. "Just a dream, yeah?" The dark tortoiseshell stood nearby. She was clearly the one that had roused him.

Breezepelt shook his head, trying to clear it from his mind. He could still taste soot on his tongue and hear screams echo in his ears. After he caught his breath, he nodded. "Yeah."

He glanced around the Warriors' Den. His few denmates had all woken up. None glared at him in annoyance. Instead, their gazes were sympathetic.

Breezepelt's stomach swirled in disgust. He curled his lip at them before he lay back down on his side. There were only a few others that slept in the Warriors' Den with him—Sunstrike, Weaselfur, Furzepelt, Larkwing, Owlwhisker, and even the deputy, Harespring. They had one thing in common: they were all former trainees of the Dark Forest, before the Great Battle. Typically, WindClan warriors slept out under the stars, in view of StarClan… but the trainees now alone slept in the hollowed out hillside that was usually reserved for stormy nights.

Some cats insisted it was just because the trainees' recurring nightmares kept the rest of the cats up, but Breezepelt knew better. They were now outcasts in WindClan, unfit to be looked upon by StarClan as they slept.

Breezepelt opened one eye to stare at Harespring's back. Making him deputy was Onestar's attempt at pretending that WindClan has forgiven the trainees—but Breezepelt wasn't fooled. WindClanners hardly took an order from Harespring seriously. _Hedgehogs'll fly before anyone listens to him. _The rest of the trainees weren't better off by much than him, but Breezepelt was regarded as the worst of the lot. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a stab of bitterness. So what if he had fought on the side of the Dark Forest, even when his fellow trainees changed their minds? _It's not like they actually ever cared about me. I wish they'd killed me like the other loyal trainees. _Few other cats had genuinely wanted the Clans to lose, and all others who had died in the battle.

Some cats would have called Breezepelt lucky. Not him. He was still waiting for the day somebody decided to snap and send him to the Dark Forest for good.

Breezepelt shut his eyes, but sleep would not come to him again that night.

* * *

**_Minnowtail_**

Minnowtail woke to a damp nest. A drop of water fell from the roof of the den and hit her smack on the nose, and she lifted her head indignantly. She silently glared up at the top of the den. _Wasn't this just repaired? What minnow-brain fixed it?_ She winced as another drip fell and landed between her eyes.

Minnowtail sat up, keeping her gaze on the spot. It took her a few tired moments to realize the roof had been _clawed_ open—right over where Minnowtail's head had been laying as she slept.

_Oh._ Her chest clenched from the pressure of a feeling somewhere between rage and grief. Minnowtail flattened her ears and curled her tail tightly around herself. She gazed out over the rest of the warriors in the den. A few nests were empty, but most cats were still asleep. One, a young warrior named Netteclaw, was in the middle of grooming himself, though he looked like he was trying to reach something on his back. Like Minnowtail, his nest was on the edge of the Warriors' Den.

"Morning, Nettleclaw," Minnowtail softly meowed.

Nettleclaw started and glanced towards her. "Oh! Morning." He caught sight of her wet nest and frowned. "Did the roof start leaking again?"

Minnowtail sighed. "Something like that."

Nettleclaw looked up at the roof and quickly understood. "Oh… yeah." He turned around to show her his back. "Well, if you think that's bad, someone put burrs in my nest. I got most of them off… but I can't reach this one on my back."

Minnowtail furrowed her brow in annoyance. _Someone sure thinks they're funny. _"I'll help you, Nettleclaw." She padded closer and bent down. Gingerly taking the burr in her teeth, she yanked it clear.

"Ouch!" Nettleclaw exclaimed. "Thanks, Minnowtail."

Otterheart raised her head and glared at the pair. "Keep it down, will you?"

"Sorry!" Nettleclaw meowed. "You want to share a fish, Minnowtail?"

Minnowtail yawned. "Sure. Might as well get out."

They left the den together, stepping carefully over the sleeping bodies of their Clanmates. Minnowtail stepped outside first. It was raining lightly, more mist than proper drops. It must have rained all night, for the ground underpaw was soggy and squelched as she walked.

Reedwhisker, the deputy, was sitting beside the fresh-kill pile, talking to Mossyfoot. Minnowtail's heart sank as she saw them. She wouldn't have minded talking to Reedwhisker… but Mossyfoot was another matter.

"Maybe we don't need to eat," Minnowtail hurriedly meowed. "We _could_ go hunt instead. You know, I've always thought a hungry belly sharpened the senses."

Before Nettleclaw had the chance to reply, Mossyfoot glanced their way and physically retched at the sight of them. The pretty brown-and-white molly curled her lip in displeasure, fixing her hate-filled stare upon Minnowtail.

"Oh, _great_, the murderer is awake!" She announced, lashing her thick-furred tail.

Reedwhisker closed his eyes and sighed softly. "Mossyfoot…"

"You know, we could still go back inside…" Nettleclaw whispered, clearly uneager to witness another spat between the two mollies.

Minnowtail scowled. "No, we might as well get fresh-kill now that she's seen us." She led the way across camp.

"Don't get too close," Mossyfoot hissed. "I don't want to smell your stench, traitor."

Minnowtail bristled, but she resisted the urge to snap at the molly. Silently, she lifted up a plump carp from the pile. Nettleclaw watched, his eyes darting about nervously.

"_And_ she takes the best piece from the pile," Mossyfoot dryly commented. "A killer and a glutton."

The last snub was one too many. Perhaps if Minnowtail had woke to a dry nest, she would have had the self-control to walk away. Instead, she spun around and threw the carp in the mud at Mossyfoot's paws. "Here!" she spat. "If you're so insulted by my eating, have it yourself and _shut up_!"

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Mossyfoot snarled. "I'll say what I want, mange-pelt."

Minnowtail bared her teeth. "No, but I might claw those stupid whiskers off your—"

"That's enough out of both of you!" Reedwhisker finally snapped. The black tom stood up and shoved himself between them. "For StarClan's sake, _you_ two of all cats should get along!" He glared at Minnowtail first. "I expect a better tolerance for minnow-brained comments from a more experienced warrior," he meowed.

Mossyfoot smirked and scoffed.

Reedwhisker turned to her. "And _you_ should have more respect for your former mentor!" He snapped. "You wouldn't have any of your skills without her."

Mossyfoot bristled, before she snarled, "Maybe, but at least I'd still have a _brother_!"

Minnowtail winced. Reedwhisker was right—she had trained Mossyfoot two seasons ago. They had been close, before the Great Battle happened. "You know I didn't have a choice," Minnowtail meowed, though part of her knew reasoning with Mossyfoot was impossible. "Hollowflight was going to kill Dapplenose."

Mossyfoot narrowed her eyes. "That's what _you_ say. Hollowflight never _got_ to tell his side of the story!"

_Why do I even try?_ A stab of hurt went through Minnowtail's heart. As much as Mossyfoot's mockery infuriated her, she missed how things used to be between them. Minnowtail, like Hollowflight, had been a trainee with the Dark Forest. _Unlike_ Hollowflight, once she realized that they only wanted to destroy the Clans, she turned on them and fought with the Clans. Some cats just snubbed Minnowtail for being a former trainee, but for Mossyfoot, it was personal. In the battle, Minnowtail had come across Hollowflight about to attack Dapplenose—a nursing queen at that time—and Minnowtail had done what she needed to do to keep her safe.

"I _said_ that was enough," Reedwhisker snapped. "Minnowtail, take your fresh-kill that you've ungratefully thrown in mud and eat it. Mossyfoot, go get your apprentice and get out of camp. We need _less_ fights, not more."

Mossyfoot let out a wordless growl and stalked off towards the Apprentices' Den. Minnowtail met Reedwhisker's gaze again and let out a breath. "Sorry, Reedwhisker. Bad morning."

Reedwhisker frowned deeply. "You can't go around having outbursts, Minnowtail," he warned. "You more than any other former trainee."

Minnowtail flattened her ears. _I wasn't the only cat to kill in that horrible battle._ Everyone had to do things they never would have done before—but because Hollowflight was her 'Clanmate', it was different? _I _know _Hollowflight would have killed Dapplenose. He might have actually killed some of the others that died in the battle._

"Come on, Minnowtail," Nettleclaw hurriedly meowed. The tom was still bristling nervously. "Let's eat, yeah?"

"Yeah," Minnowtail agreed. She picked up the carp, now regretting having covered it in filth, and turned away from Reedwhisker to bring it to the edge of camp. Nettleclaw followed closely, and together they sat beneath a willow tree.

Minnowtail dropped the carp and spat out a bit of mud. "Thanks for sticking up for me back there," she sarcastically meowed.

Nettleclaw looked embarrassed and gave his chest a couple licks. "Aw, come on, Minnowtail. You're tougher than I am."

Minnowtail smiled a little. "I guess that's true." She quickly frowned again. "I'm just sick of how they keep treating us. Mossyfoot on her own is horrible, but it's not _just_ her, it's…"

"Basically everyone," Nettleclaw grumbled. "I mean, there's a couple who are still nice to us, but most of them hate us or just avoid us so _they_ don't get hissed at too."

Minnowtail stared down at the mucky fish. _I miss how it used to be,_ she thought. _Back before the Dark Forest ever recruited me… I mean, even their training was fun for a while, when I was an apprentice. I thought I was helping my Clan… we all did. Nobody else sees it that way._

She sighed and crouched down to take a bite. _I guess I can't really blame them, can I?_

* * *

_Starlingwing_

"Let us begin with our morning prayer."

Blackstar's hoarse rasp brought silence upon the gathered Clan. Every ShadowClan cat bowed their heads. Starlingwing dipped his slightly while still keeping his gaze on his leader. He shifted his paws impatiently.

Blackstar coughed harshly. The large tom was seated on a fallen log before the Clan. Typically, the leader made announcements from the Highbranch above his head, but the old leader had struggled to climb it for the last three mornings. Once, Blackstar had been a mighty leader, larger than even Bramblestar of ThunderClan… but now, he was ancient, his eyes murky and his whiskers frayed.

_Practically half in StarClan already,_ Starlingwing thought. _Get on with it already!_

Littlecloud sat beside the log. The tiny tom looked up to the sky. "May StarClan guide our paths," he meowed, his voice soft in comparison to his leader's. "May they shine light through darkness in our hearts, and bless us with peace. We pray for our fallen Clanmates, taken from us by the Dark Forest. Let us say their names and remember their sacrifice."

At first, the hymn had been reassuring to ShadowClan. One moon ago, when the dust settled after the Great Battle, they _needed_ something to bring them hope and remind them that StarClan still watched over them.

Starlingwing took in a breath in preparation. Now, the prayer felt like a chore. He would much rather be hunting or patrolling or doing _something_ useful. _Here we go._

The Clan spoke in unison. "We remember the fallen. StarClan, watch over Cedarheart, Tallpoppy, Snaketail, Snowbird, and her kits, Weaselkit, Berrykit, and Finchkit."

Blackstar nodded his approval. "May StarClan bless us," he grunted.

Starlingwing leaped to his paws, relieved to be finished. Others began to stand and speak amongst themselves. Without waiting for Rowanclaw to call out for patrols, he bounded towards the deputy. "Rowanclaw!" he shouted. "Give me a patrol!"

Rowanclaw, who hadn't even stood yet, glanced his way and raised a brow. "Is that how you talk to your deputy?"

"_Please_?" Starlingwing begged, shifting eagerly from one side to the other. "Yesterday Littlecloud made me help give herbs to the elders. I'm _not_ an apprentice, Rowanclaw!" He lashed his tail dramatically. "I need to be out there, hunting for my Clan and fighting our enemies!"

"What you _need_ is to tone it down before I have you caring for the elders again," Rowanclaw muttered. "But fine, you can take out a patrol. How about you bring Shrewfoot and Ratscar?"

_Shrewfoot and Ratscar?_ Starlingwing blinked. Both cats were former Dark Forest trainees. He tilted his head curiously. _As much as I _want _to lead a patrol… Ratscar's _way _older than I am, like, half-in-a-grave-already-old._ Starlingwing personally didn't mind the trainees any more than he minded his other Clanmates—they fought for the Clans in the end, didn't they?—but it still felt strange to patrol with _just_ them.

Rowanclaw seemed to notice his hesitation and sighed. "Lizard-brain or not, you're one of the few cats who don't try and lose their trainee Clanmates on a border patrol or ruin their hunts. I can trust you to be a _normal Clanmate_ around them, can't I?"

Starlingwing puffed out his chest. _Aha! So Rowanclaw thinks I'm one of his best warriors for the job, huh?_ "You can count on me!" he proclaimed. "I'll be the normal-est Clanmate there is!" A moment later, he frowned. "Wait… did you say lizard-brain?"

"Just go get them," Rowanclaw meowed, though an amused smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth. "And _talk_ to them, will you? They need to remember they're still part of the Clan and not our prisoners."

Starlingwing forgot the insult and smirked. "_Talk_? Of course I can talk!"

"Thank StarClan for that," Rowanclaw dryly meowed. "Go on with it, then."

Starlingwing bobbed his head eagerly and bounded off once more. He scanned the Clan hurriedly. "Raaaaaaatscar!" he yowled. "Shrewfoooooot! Where are you?"

"Great StarClan!" came Ratscar's gruff voice. The tom was only seated a few fox-lengths away. Shrewfoot was only another length away, frowning with displeasure. "What's gotten into you, Starlingwing?"

"You should be asking what _you're _about to get into!" Starlingwing exclaimed. He turned towards Ratscar and hurried to his side. "Rowanclaw tasked _me_ with leading a patrol! I'll be taking you and Shrewfoot along."

"Do we _have_ to?" Shrewfoot muttered. She shifted closer, but looked annoyed.

"What kind of patrol are we even doing?" Ratscar asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Rowanclaw didn't mention," Starlingwing breezily replied. "I suppose we could hunt!"

"Riiight…" Shrewfoot replied. "Hunting… with Starlingwing…" She shared a doubtful glance with Ratscar.

If there was a hidden insult, Starlingwing didn't catch it. "I love to hunt!" he declared, puffing out his chest. "Don't you? The thrill of stalking through the forest! The danger of foxes and badgers! The victory that comes with taking down a piece of prey!"

"No one's seen a badger since before you were born, Starlingwing," Ratscar muttered. "How do you even know what they are?"

Starlingwing sniffed. "They could still be out there! A good warrior is always on the lookout for danger." He lashed his tail. "Well? Come on! We're wasting time just sitting here!"

Ratscar leaned towards Shrewfoot. "Think Rowanclaw put us on patrol to torture us?"

Shrewfoot sighed. "Knowing him, he probably meant it to be a kind gesture."

Not at all catching on, Starlingwing resumed his impatient dancing from one paw to the other. "Let's _go_!"

With a few more demanding yowls from Starlingwing, the two warriors rose and went with him to the fern tunnel that led out into the forest. Starlingwing boldly charged out of camp first, thrusting himself clear of the tunnel and into the pine woods. He stopped for a moment and looked around. _Where to hunt…_

Shrewfoot and Ratscar padded outside much slower. Starlingwing glanced over his shoulder at them. "Any ideas on where to hunt?"

Ratscar rolled his eyes. "What, our heroic young warrior doesn't have any ideas?" he meowed.

_Of course I have ideas! _Starlingwing lashed his tail, quickly trying to think of something. "Uh… how about towards the RiverClan border? By the big cedar?"

"Sure, sure," Shrewfoot breezily replied. "Let's go."

Starlingwing nodded eagerly and took off in a bound. He darted forward, sending pine needles scattering as he raced down the slight slope. The ground was damp from a light rain, but he didn't mind. _It'll mask my scent in the hunt!_ He paused after a few more moments, then parted his jaws to taste the air. _Pine sap… toadstools… the lake… aha! I smell toad!_ He glanced over his shoulder. "I've found something!" he declared.

No one was standing behind him. Starlingwing frowned. "Ratscar? Shrewfoot?"

No response. Starlingwing lashed his tail and let out a yowl. "RATSCAR! SHREWFOOT!"

Silence greeted his ears. Starlingwing let out a huff and turned away. "Must have been going too fast for them… can't blame them for getting lost! I'll bet they just went another way. I'll just have to find them!" Without wasting a moment, he hurried off further into the woods. "Raaaatscar! Shreeeewwwwfooooot!"

* * *

_Thornclaw_

Thornclaw padded into the woods, taking in a breath of the fresh forest air. He paused a moment, soaking in the scents and sounds of the territory. He heard birdsong and the rustling of tree leaves above, smelled the lake on the breeze and the warm scent of mouse. He swiped his tongue across his lips and set off in the direction of the prey-scent.

It was dawn, and though there was usually a patrol around this time, he was alone. Thornclaw, as known to everyone, loved to join patrols—but he was on his own today, as he had been for the last moon. He was growing used to his lone hunts in the morning, though he missed the companionship that came with patrolling.

_I wonder when I'll finally join one again,_ Thornclaw thought, as he padded silently through the forest. It wasn't that Squirrelflight, the ThunderClan deputy, refused to offer him a spot on one. She had been very gracious, in fact, and offered many times. Thornclaw himself had decided it best to go alone for a while.

It was better for everyone that way.

Thornclaw sighed softly to himself. Guilt pricked at his belly. Ever since the battle with the Dark Forest, things had been different. The Clan no longer felt whole—now, there was ThunderClan, and then there were the traitors among them. Thornclaw was decidedly a traitor. He, like many, had been fooled into training in the Dark Forest. He was paying the price for it now, and while he wished his Clanmates would stop staring at him with such unabashed disgust, he couldn't blame them.

Thornclaw's ears pricked as he heard scuffling ahead. A small burst of excitement pushed past his thoughts. _There!_ The mouse he had been tracking was shuffling through the fallen leaves for food. It paused a moment to wash its whiskers, and Thornclaw fell into a crouch. With ease, he stealthily crept forward. Seasons upon seasons of hunting had trained him well, and he found no trouble in sneaking up on the creature.

Before the mouse knew what was happening, Thornclaw pounced and dispatched it with a swift bite to the neck. He dropped it on the ground and sat. The aging tabby tom closed his eyes and leaned back. "Thank you, StarClan, for this prey." He twitched his whiskers as a gentle breeze blew against his face. _This'll be good for Blossomfall,_ he thought. _She hasn't been able to stop eating since her kits were born!_ He chuckled softly to himself.

Thornclaw hadn't heard the pawsteps of a second cat. Nor did he hear their paws leave the ground as they leaped into the air. Though a trained hunter, age had dulled his senses, and it wasn't until he felt teeth in his neck and claws in his shoulders that he realized he was under attack.

The attacker slammed Thornclaw into the ground. "How _dare_ you speak of StarClan!" they spat. "After what you've done, you should be _grovelling_ to them for forgiveness!"

Thornclaw never had the chance to do what the assailant suggested. No sooner had the words flown from their lips did they sink their jaws into his throat, spilling his blood. He struggled desperately against them, but the killer was younger and stronger, and his kicking became weaker and weaker until his legs were spasming of their own accord.

Only when his death throes stilled, the killer released him and stepped back. They stared down at the body with disgust. "For my mother," they hissed. "For my father. For ThunderClan… and for all Clans."

They bent down and bit into Thornclaw's scruff. Slowly, they began to drag him away into the undergrowth.

* * *

**ThunderClan**

**Leader**: Bramblestar—huge dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Deputy**: Squirrelflight—small, fiery ginger molly with one white paw, a fluffy tail, and green eyes.

**Medicine Cats**: Leafpool—brown tabby molly with a white chest and green eyes.

Jayfeather—lean, pale gray tabby tom with large ears and pale blue eyes.

**Warriors:**

Cloudtail—large, fluffy white tom with blue eyes.

Brightheart—large ginger-and-white tabby molly with heavy facial scarring, missing an eye and an ear.

Birchfall—glossy-furred brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Father of Ivypool and Dovewing.)

Berrynose—handsome, fluffy cream tom with green eyes and a stumpy tail. (Father of Cherrypaw and Molepaw.)

Hazeltail—gray-and-white tabby molly with blue eyes.

Mousewhisker—gray-and-white tabby tom with green eyes.

Lionblaze—large golden tabby tom with amber eyes.

Hollyleaf—black molly with glossy, long fur, large ears, and bright green eyes.

_**Apprentice, Cherrypaw**_

Foxleap—lean russet tom with green eyes.

Icecloud—sleek white molly with blue eyes.

_**Apprentice, Molepaw**_

Toadstep—fluffy black-and-white tom with green eyes.

Rosepetal—dark cream molly with green eyes.

Bumblestripe—gray tabby tom with dark stripes and blue eyes.

Briarlight—dark brown molly with muscular forelegs, paralyzed in her hindquarters.

Dovewing—small, fluffy, pale gray molly with odd eyes.

Ivypool—battle-scarred silver-and-white tabby molly with blue eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Cherrypaw—large ginger molly with amber eyes.

Molepaw—large brown-and-white tom with amber eyes.

**Queens:**

Daisy—large, long haired cream molly with green eyes.

Cinderheart—dark gray molly with blue eyes.

Blossomfall—pale tortoiseshell-and-white molly with green eyes. (Ivypool's mate; mother of Swankit, a white she-cat with pale tortoiseshell patches, Bristlekit, a silver tabby she-kit, and Mothkit, a dark brown tabby tom.)

Sorreltail—large, muscular calico molly with green eyes. (Mother of Seedkit and Lilykit)

**Elders:**

Sandstorm—large, pale ginger tabby molly with green eyes.

Graystripe—large gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Millie—silver tabby molly with blue eyes.

**WindClan**

**Leader**: Onestar—pale brown tabby tom with a graying muzzle.

**Deputy**: Harespring—lean, brown-and-white tom with a short tail

**Medicine Cat:** Kestrelflight—small brown tom with white patches

**Warriors**:

Willowclaw—muscular gray tabby molly

Crowfeather—lean, dark gray tom with large ears and blue eyes (Father of Breezepelt)

Nightcloud—long-haired black molly with amber eyes (Mother of Breezepelt)

Owlwhisker—lean brown tabby tom

Whitetail—small white molly

Gorsetail—white molly with pale gray patches (Mother of Swallowtail and Sedgewhisker.)

Weaselfur—lithe ginger tabby tom

Emberfoot—gray tom with darker points (Father of Featherkit and Fernkit)

Heathertail—pale brown tabby molly with blue eyes

Breezepelt—lean black tom with amber eyes and large ears

Swallowtail—dark gray molly

Sunstrike—tortoiseshell molly with a white nose stripe

Furzepelt—gray molly with spiky fur

Crouchfoot—ginger tom

Larkwing—pale brown tabby molly

**Queens**:

Sedgewhisker (Foster mother of Featherkit and Fernkit.)

**Elders**:

Webfoot—dark gray tabby tom

**RiverClan**

**Leader**: Mistystar—old gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy**: Reedwhisker—black tom

**Medicine Cats**: Mothwing—beautiful, dappled golden she-cat

Willowshine—dark gray tabby she-cat

**Warriors**:

Beechfur—light brown tom

Otterheart—dark brown she-cat (Mother of Petalfur)

Apprentice, Gullpaw

Rainstorm—blue-gray tom

**_Apprentice, Lizardpaw_**

Icewing—pretty white she-cat

Mintfur—light gray tabby tom

_**Apprentice, Owlpaw**_

Pouncetail—short-tailed ginger-and-white tabby tom

Pebblefoot—mottled, pale gray tom (Minnowtail's brother)

Minnowtail—silver-gray tabby she-cat

Dapplenose—mottled gray she-cat (Mother of Perchpaw)

Mallownose—light brown tabby tom

_**Apprentice, Perchpaw**_

Petalfur—gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Mossyfoot—brown-and-white she-cat

_**Apprentice, Jaypaw**_

Rushtail—light brown tabby tom (Father of Lizardpaw and Gullpaw)

Nettleclaw—dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Podlight—sturdy gray-and-white tom

Curlfeather—long-haired, pale brown she-cat

Shimmerpelt—beautiful, spotted tabby silver she-cat

Lakeheart—long-furred blue she-cat (Shimmerpelt's sister)

Heronwing—dark gray-and-black tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

Lizardpaw—light brown tom

Gullpaw—black-and-white she-cat

Perchpaw—gray-and-white she-cat

Jaypaw—gray tom

Brackenpaw—tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlpaw—brown tabby tom

**Queens:**

Pinefur—golden-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (Mother of Foxkit and Shadekit.)

**Elders:**

Mosspelt—tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes, oldest cat in RiverClan (Mother of Willowshine, Jaypaw, Brackenpaw, and Owlpaw)

Duskfur—dark brown tabby she-cat (Mother of Podlight and Curlfeather)

Graymist—pretty gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes (Mother of Mallownose and Sneezecloud)

Dead: Troutstream, Beetlewhisker*, Stonestream, Sneezecloud, Grasspelt, Hollowflight*, Robinwing

**ShadowClan**

**Leader**: Blackstar—massive white tom with huge black paws.

**Deputy**: Rowanclaw—ginger tabby tom. (Tawnypelt's mate.)

**Medicine Cat:** Littlecloud—small brown tabby tom.

**Warriors**:

Ratscar—brown tom with battle scars.

Tawnypelt—large dilute tortoiseshell molly. (Mother of Tigerheart and Dawnpelt.)

Crowfrost—handsome black-and-white tom. (Dawnfrost's mate.)

_**Apprentice, Grasspaw**_

Owlclaw—light brown tabby tom.

Stonewing—white tom with short, sleek fur. (Pinenose's mate.)

_**Apprentice, Mistpaw**_

Scorchfur—long-furred, dark gray tom

Olivenose—tortoiseshell molly.

_**Apprentice, Sparrowpaw**_

Tigerheart—large russet tabby tom.

Ferretclaw—gray tabby tom.

_**Apprentice, Spikepaw**_

Shrewfoot—gray molly with black paws.

Stoatfur—tortoiseshell-and-white molly.

Starlingwing—ginger tom.

**Apprentices:**

Spikepaw—large brown tom with tufted ears.

Grasspaw—light brown tabby molly.

Mistpaw—spiky-furred gray molly.

Sparrowpaw—large brown tabby tom.

**Queens:**

Dawnpelt—cream molly.

Pinenose—long-furred black molly. (Mother of Birchkit, Lionkit, and Flowerkit.)

**Elders:**

Ivytail—gray tabby molly with dark stripes. Retired early due to battle wounds. (Mother of Starlingwing and Stoatfur.)

Kinkfur—brown tabby molly with long, messy fur. Retired early due to battle wounds. (Mother of Sparrowpaw and Mistpaw.)

Smokefoot—gray tom with darker points. Retired early due to battle wounds. (Father of Shrewfoot and Ferretclaw.)

Whitewater—white molly with blue eyes. (Mother of Spikepaw and Grasspaw.)

* * *

**_Vindication_ started out as my NanoWrimo project, but unfortunately, life got in the way as it tends to do. Nonetheless, I'm planning on finishing it anyway! It's a shorter project, about 10-15 chapters all together, but the chapters will have a bit more length to them than I usually do. I can't promise a regular updating schedule for this one, but it will be finished.**

**Tell me all your theories/conspiracies/thoughts/feelings in the reviews or hit me up on my blog, warriorsfireandwater on tumblr!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO - BLAME**

_Starlingwing_

Starlingwing had been searching for Shrewfoot and Ratscar well into Sun-high by the time he decided to quit looking for them. The ginger tom stomped through the forest, scowling furiously. "What's wrong with them?" he demanded aloud. "Am I the only cat that cares about hunting for the Clan anymore?"

He kicked at a pile of dry pine needles with a loud _harumph_, sending them scattering across the forest floor. "Fine!" he muttered. "I'll catch prey all my own! And it'll be enough to feed half the Clan. No—enough to feed the _whole _Clan!"

Starlingwing continued to storm down the path that led towards the lake. He paused every so often to prick his ears for the sounds of prey. It seemed there was nothing moving about at all.

"Where has all the prey gone?" He loudly demanded, before he kicked a pebble, making it fly through a thicket of dried ferns. They rustled loudly. Any irony was lost on Starlingwing as he continued on, lashing his tail and jostling the undergrowth all the way.

Suddenly, a shriek pierced the air, making Starlingwing leap in the air in fright. _Was that Shrewfoot? She's in trouble!_ The scream had come from farther down the slope. The lake wasn't much farther—what was she doing there?

Starlingwing took to his paws and raced down the hillside as quickly as he could. "SHREWFOOT!" he yowled. "I'm coming!"

It didn't take him long to reach the lake. The tree line ended sharply, and before it stretched a few fox-lengths of sandy shoreline. Starlingwing caught sight of Shrewfoot crouched on the ground, and he hurried in her direction. "Shrewfoot!" he called. "What happened?"

Shrewfoot, trembling, stepped aside. Starlingwing skidded to a halt and yowled in shock.

Laying unmoving on the ground, half in the water, was Ratscar.

"I didn't do it!" Shrewfoot immediately cried. Her eyes were wide with fear. "He said he was just going to make dirt and then he was gone for so long and I didn't know where he was and I—"

Starlingwing hardly heard her. His gaze was transfixed on Ratscar's bloody corpse. His throat had been torn open, the blood flowing right into the lake. The old tom's eyes were clouded but wide. Starlingwing hadn't seen a dead body, not like this, not since—

_Screams. Everyone was screaming. Some of the shrieks were fierce battle-cries, warriors bravely fighting dark monstrosities, but most were yowls of pain and terror. Starlingwing crouched low to the ground, his heart pounding. He wanted to leap into the battle, but it was so hard to see anything_—_the moon and the stars were shrouded in black clouds, and the attackers themselves seemed practically made of darkness. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes. He was normally so keen of vision, even in the nighttime, even for a ShadowClan warrior _— _but he was struggling to see a thing._

_There! Finally, his eyes focused on something. One of the Dark Forest warriors across camp. He was an ugly brute: large and ragged-furred, with jagged teeth and a crooked tail. He turned in Starlingwing's direction, violently shaking something._

_Someone._

_Starlingwing's stomach surged as he recognized little Weaselkit grasped in the monster's jaws. The two-moon-old kit wailed and wailed, until_—

"Starlingwing!" Shrewfoot cried. "What do we _do_?"

Starlingwing shook his head, trying desperately to clear the vile memories from his mind. All his bravado had vanished. He looked down at Ratscar's body again. "I… I don't…"

Shrewfoot shrank back, clenching her eyes shut. "Oh… oh, StarClan… they're going to think I…"

Starlingwing swallowed, trying to push down his own fear and disgust. _Shrewfoot needs me! I have to figure this out!_ "Okay, um…" He looked around, trying to think quickly. "Go find another patrol! Or go back to camp! Just bring someone here! I'll—" holding back his disgust, he finished, "—stay with Ratscar."

Shrewfoot nodded hurriedly, relief clear in her eyes. She turned and darted off.

Once she was gone, Starlingwing inched closer to the body. His mind swam with shock and confusion. _What in StarClan's name happened?_ He crouched down, looking over the body. _What could've done this? A fox? A badger?_ Ratscar was right; Starlingwing had never _seen_ a badger, but he'd heard tale of their violence.

_How do you figure out how a murder happened?_ Starlingwing wondered. He was still shaking, his stomach swirling, threatening to spill its contents. _No, no, no! Get ahold of yourself! What can I do?_ He closed his eyes. _Just… just think of it like a game! Yes… it's just a game. You like games!_ He stood back up and looked around. _I have to find a scent first!_

He tasted the air, but found nothing over the smell of blood and toadstools. Starlingwing bent his head and began to sniff at the ground. He slowly walked back and forth over the shore, searching for any trace of the killer's scent. Nothing again.

_Agh!_ Starlingwing nearly clawed the ground in frustration. He looked down and paused.

All around, the sand was mostly flat or naturally even. But here, where he stood, was a clear, wide line, that dug just barely into the ground. It stretched up into the end of the sand, leading back into the forest. _What in the…?_ Starlingwing looked down between his legs and back towards Ratscar's body. The wide line led all the way back to his body. He looked over it once more, examining the marks closely. Spots of blood were beginning to dry in the impression.

"It's not just a line," he meowed to himself, stepping out of it to look fully over it once more. "Those are drag marks!" Starlingwing felt a burst of pride despite the situation. _Okay, okay… what else can you find?_

He returned to the body, his momentary victory helping him better stomach looking over the dead body. Starlingwing looked down at Ratscar, thinking he was prepared to examine the body, but he felt his heart sink in his chest.

_Ratscar… is _dead_. Really dead._

The full weight of the situation began to fall upon him, and Starlingwing sat down, curling his tail around his paws. Ratscar had been a senior warrior long before Starlingwing was born. They weren't close, but they were _Clanmates_. Ratscar's grumpy presence was a certainty in ShadowClan, even if he had become something of an outcast after the mess with the Dark Forest.

_I thought he would retire soon, _Starlingwing thought to himself, ears flattening. _Is this my fault? I feel like it's my fault. Why did they leave when we were going to patrol? Ratscar wouldn't have gotten killed if I'd done a better job finding them!_

Guilt pricked at his belly, and his gaze travelled down to Ratscar's paws. The tom's claws were left unsheathed. Starlingwing squinted as something caught his eye. Tufts of fur were stuck between the claws, torn out in his fight.

_Gray fur,_ Starlingwing thought. _But… _Shrewfoot was a gray cat.

_But that doesn't… she said she found him_—_unless she didn't_—_but she was screaming! Unless she was screaming on purpose? But there's fur torn out and she wasn't injured… unless she was?_ Starlingwing's mind reeled and he stumbled back. _I don't know _what _to think! What if Shrewfoot led him off to kill him? But_—_why would she even _do _that? None of this makes any sense!_

Whether or not Shrewfoot _had_ been lying, Starlingwing knew things didn't look good for her.

* * *

Starlingwing wasn't sure how long he was waiting for Shrewfoot to return, but it felt like moons. He had finally pulled himself away from the body and crouched on the ground, head bowed, when he heard pawsteps and voices.

"He's right over here…"

_Shrewfoot!_ Starlingwing lifted his gaze. _Thank StarClan she came back. That's good, right? She wouldn't come back if she had killed him! Right?_

Out from the ferns came Olivenose, Shrewfoot, Crowfrost, and Stoatfur, the former leading the way with Shrewfoot at her side.

"You're back!" Starlingwing breathed. He was flooded with relief to see someone other than Ratscar's unblinking face, and especially relieved to Stoatfur. The tortoiseshell molly blinked as she spotted him and hurried closer, running past the rest of her patrol.

"Starlingwing!" Stoatfur meowed. "What's going _on_? Shrewfoot said that Ratscar was…" her voice trailed off as her gaze fell upon Ratscar. "Oh. Oh, fox-dung… I think I'm going to be sick."

Starlingwing pressed against his sister, both for his sake and hers. He was starting to grow used to the sight of Ratscar, but the smell of death and blood was beginning to make him ill.

Crowfrost padded forward, his eyes wide. "What happened, Starlingwing?" He began to walk across the drag marks Starlingwing had discovered without noticing them.

Starlingwing leaped in front of him. "Wait!" he exclaimed. "You're walking all over the clues!"

"...Clues?" Olivenose meowed. Her ears were flat. "This is no time for your silly games, Starlingwing - "

"It's not a game!" Starlingwing protested. "Look, back up. I've been looking around to try and figure out what happened."

Crowfrost scowled in displeasure, but he backed up. "We need to bring Ratscar back quickly," he growled. "The Clan needs to know what happened, even if he _was_ a traitor." Shrewfoot winced at his harsh tone.

"Shut up!" Stoatfur hissed, whirling around to face him. "This is no time for grudges. A Clanmate is _dead_!"

"When Applefur and Redwillow died, we didn't give _them_ a burial," Olivenose sniffed. "We should leave him for the crows."

Starlingwing gasped aloud. "What? Ratscar was _murdered_! The killer could be out for any of us!" _Why couldn't Shrewfoot have found a better patrol?_

"Just show us what you found," Crowfrost meowed, his eyes narrowed.

_How are they both so collected?_ Starlingwing wondered, flicking his tail in discomfort. _Even if they didn't like him… he's _dead_. You'd think they at least would feel bad? Or grossed out? Or SOMETHING?_ He sighed to himself twitched an ear. "Okay… well!" He took a step back and gestured to the marks in the ground with a wave of his paw. "First, I was trying to find the killer's scent, but there wasn't anything at all. While I was looking around, I saw this… drag marks! The killer must have attacked him somewhere else and then brought him here after." Starlingwing stepped towards Ratscar's body. "And then I saw this…" He bent down and pointed with his nose towards Ratscar's paw. "Gray fur in his claws."

"_Gray_?" Crowfrost asked, narrowing his eyes. He padded towards Ratscar's body and stared at the tufts between his claws. A moment later, his gaze slid suspiciously towards Shrewfoot.

Starlingwing gulped. It didn't take him longer than a heartbeat to realize Crowfrost was coming to the same conclusion he had been worrying about.

Crowfrost bared his teeth at the gray molly. "_You_ did this!" he hissed. "Thought fooling Starlingwing would keep you safe, did you?"

"No!" Shrewfoot cried. Her eyes widened fearfully, and she lowered herself into a crouch. "I didn't kill him! I just _found_ him here!"

"Tell me, did you or didn't you abandon your Clanmate on a patrol?" Crowfrost demanded. "Didn't you just tell us you and Ratscar left Starlingwing behind?"

Starlingwing winced. _So it was on purpose! But… why?_ He felt a stab of hurt. _Did she... really do this?_

"Yes, but…" Shrewfoot shut her eyes and shook her head vigorously. "But… I wouldn't have… I didn't…"

"Save it for Blackstar," Olivenose spat. "Let's take her back to camp and see what he thinks."

Stoatfur looked back and forth between Olivenose and Crowfrost. "Care to share what's going on?" she hissed, taking a step in front of Shrewfoot, as though to shield the molly.

Crowfrost lashed his tail towards Ratscar's body. "He fought a gray cat when he was attacked. It doesn't take much sense to put two and two together."

"Lizard-brains!" Stoatfur growled. "Shrewfoot isn't the only gray cat on the lakeside. StarClan's sake, we don't even _know_ that it was a Clan cat that attacked him!"

Olivenose glared at Stoatfur. "Why so quick to defend a traitor?" she hissed. "Maybe you _were_ one of the trainees after all."

Stoatfur bristled. "I don't have to be a former trainee to know when another cat is acting brainless!"

"Enough!" Crowfrost snapped. "As the most senior warrior here, _I _say we go back to camp and report this to Blackstar. _He_ can decide for himself if Shrewfoot is guilty or not."

Shrewfoot trembled wordlessly. Her eyes were round with fear, and Starlingwing couldn't blame her. Blackstar himself had killed a former Clanmate, Redwillow, in the battle with the Dark Forest without hesitation. He was not a cat known for his patience or mercy. Would he do the same to Shrewfoot if he found her guilty?

Olivenose bared her teeth at Shrewfoot. "Get up, fox-heart."

Stoatfur curled her lip and held her ground between them. "Back off, Olivenose!"

"It's okay," Shrewfoot murmured. She stood up slowly. Already, her gaze had turned dull and glassy, as though she had already given up.

"What are we going to do about Ratscar?" Starlingwing finally asked. He nervously shifted his weight from side to side, uneasy in the tense situation.

"We'll send another patrol to bury him," Crowfrost quickly decided. With a lash of his tail, he added, "It's more important we make sure _she_ gets taken back to camp before she tries to escape."

Shrewfoot winced wordlessly. Stoatfur curled her tail protectively around Shrewfoot's haunches. "Blackstar won't be unreasonable," she quietly promised. "You didn't do this."

Starlingwing momentarily felt grateful for his sister being the only other cat present with a shred of sympathy left in her. _Too many cats lost that after the battle._ He still felt confused - and frankly, a bit hurt - about knowing Shrewfoot had purposefully left him behind on the patrol, but he didn't wholly believe she had randomly killed Ratscar. He padded closer and stood on her other side.

Crowfrost narrowed his eyes at that, but simply padded past them to lead the way back to camp. "Take up the rear, Olivenose," he ordered.

With that, the patrol began the slow walk home. Starlingwing glanced back once towards Ratscar's body on the shoreline. It felt _wrong_ to leave him there like that, still half in the water like a drowned rat. He shuddered before turning away.

_What's going to happen to Shrewfoot? _Starlingwing wondered. And, as worries kept nagging at him, he thought, _What if she _did _do it?_

Starlingwing just hoped Blackstar would know the right thing to do.

* * *

_Breezepelt_

Breezepelt gnawed on a rabbit's bone, holding it tight between his paws. He and Nightcloud were sharing a half-eaten rabbit, someone else's leftovers. Nightcloud was silent as she crouched beside him, her eyes half-lidded, ears relaxed. Breezepelt looked at his mother out of the corner of his eye as he pulled a tiny scrap of meat off the bone. Her thick black coat had lost its shine, her eyes dull. She was only half-there, sitting beside him—another part of her was lost in her thoughts, or simply in the state of not thinking at all. It was hard to tell which it was, lately.

Breezepelt's tail twitched, and he pulled his gaze away from her. She hadn't been the same since the battle—though no cat was, really—Nightcloud spent her days sitting beside her son, distant from the rest of her Clanmates. She was the only cat, aside from the other trainees, who hadn't turned on him after the battle ended. Even the other trainees wouldn't be seen with him during the day, though. Nightcloud alone was his sole companion.

Breezepelt sighed to himself and nudged another morsel of the remains towards her. "Here, mother."

Nightcloud blinked, and some life returned to her eyes. She turned her gaze towards him for a moment and smiled. "Thank you, Breezepelt." She bent her head to pick up the scrap.

Breezepelt fluffed out his pelt, feeling self-conscious. _I wish she would just leave me alone like everyone else,_ he thought. It wasn't that he hated the companionship of his mother. Before the battle, she and Heathertail were all he had. But now, any cat that associated with him was good as a traitor in the eyes of the Clan, and as long as Nightcloud stayed by his side, she remained as much of an outcast as he was.

A familiar laugh from across camp made the fur on Breezepelt's neck raise.

_Heathertail…_ Breezepelt dug his claws into the dirt. It was hard not to feel bitter about her. Once, Heathertail had been his only friend. Now, she hardly looked at him. _I told her I would do anything for her, _he thought. _And now she pretends I don't exist!_ Anger made his heart clench. _I wish she would just hiss at me like everyone else does. At least then she would still _acknowledge _me!_

Her laughter continued. Breezepelt tried to make his pelt smooth down, but every laugh made the fur prick back up like a hedgehog. Heathertail was the sort of cat that laughed easily, loudly, and endlessly.

Nightcloud's tail brushed against his side. Softly, she meowed, "Why don't you go over there?"

Breezepelt allowed himself to lift his gaze to look Heathertail's way. She was with Swallowtail, Sedgewhisker, and Emberfoot. Emberfoot was belly-up on the ground; his kits, Featherkit and Fernkit, were clambering over him as he groaned loudly. Heathertail and the other mollies laughed all the while, but Heathertail was the only cat he heard.

Breezepelt lashed his tail. "You know I can't." _Emberfoot would claw my face off… and that's if Sedgewhisker and Swallowtail didn't kill me first._

Before Nightcloud could reply, a few cats let out warning hisses. Willowclaw, who was taking up sentry duty at the top of the slope that led into camp, let out a short yowl. "ThunderClan approaching!"

Breezepelt hissed and turned his gaze towards the camp entrance. WindClan camp was set in a deep hollow on the moor, surrounded by steep, short slopes on all sides. Most edges had rocks or thickets of gorse and heather to shield them from prying eyes, but the slope leading into camp was wide open, making it easy for WindClan to see intruders. And there stood intruders—_ThunderClan_ intruders. Breezepelt curled his lip in disgust as their scent blew down into the camp.

Squirrelflight, the ThunderClan deputy, stood in front of her patrol, who were just out of sight over the crest of the slope. The short ginger molly dipped her head to Willowclaw. "Peace, Willowclaw," Squirrelflight meowed. "We've just come to talk."

A heartbeat later, Crowfeather joined her at the top of the hill, flanked by Whitetail and Weaselfur. "They say they need to speak to Onestar."

Breezepelt's throat tightened with anger at the sight of his father. No matter how much time passed, the reaction was still the same. Ugly, hot, fierce hate bubbled up in his chest, making his claws curl. Normally, he would hiss with displeasure at the sight of ThunderClan, but he had gone stiff for a moment. Crowfeather and Breeepelt had never gotten along, and though Breezepelt was well past wanting his father's approval, it didn't mean that he didn't feel a hot sting of anger whenever they crossed paths.

Willowclaw stepped aside to let Squirrelflight and the patrol through, and Breezepelt nearly let out a yowl of fury as he saw just who she had brought with her—_Hollyleaf_. There were others behind her, but as soon as he saw her, he fixed his gaze on her, his ears growing hot and flattening down to his skull.

"How _dare_ they bring her here!" he quietly hissed.

Nightcloud lifted her gaze, anger sparking in her orange eyes. "What's _she_ doing here?"

Others were quick to notice her, too. Any WindClan warrior would be put off by the appearance of ThunderClan warriors in their camp—but Hollyleaf? ThunderClan _had _to be brainless to send her on the patrol that went to their camp.

Breezepelt lashed his tail, growling wordlessly. Hollyleaf was his half-sister, Crowfeather's daughter. Seasons ago, he had a relationship with Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat—a doubly forbidden affair—costing Crowfeather any shred of respect when the truth came out and shattering any chance of Breezepelt, Crowfeather, and Nightcloud trying to hold their shoddy family together. His ears flattened as he recalled the volatile confrontation they had after the Gathering where Hollyleaf revealed the truth.

_WindClan warriors were quick to leave the Gathering Island that night. No one wanted to stand around exchanging pleasantries after the explosive interruption from Hollyleaf. She claimed Crowfeather was her father, and that Leafpool was her mother, when all had thought she and her littermates were born to Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw._

_For Breezepelt, it was the last straw against his father._

"_Breezepelt! Nightcloud!" Crowfeather yowled. He was at the back of the Clan, and none were eager to slow for him. Some looked back, gulped, and hurried their pace. No one liked the awkwardness of being present for a Nightcloud-Crowfeather fight, but this was sure to be the worst of all._

"_Don't talk to me!" Breezepelt snarled. He whipped his head over his shoulder to glare at Crowfeather. "Leave us alone!"_

_Nightcloud, however, stopped. The black-furred molly turned slowly on her paws, not saying a word, waiting as her Clanmates passed her by. Her tail trembled, but otherwise, she was entirely still._

_Breezepelt gritted his teeth, but he moved to stand beside his mother. He couldn't leave her now._

"_Just listen!" Crowfeather hissed, as he hurried up the slope towards them. His blue eyes with sparking with some emotion—anger? Shame? Embarrassment? Breezepelt couldn't tell. Did he only care because he had been finally caught?_

_Nightcloud glanced over her shoulder wordlessly, looking to the Clan. When the last tail had disappeared over the crest of the hill, she turned back to Crowfeather and curled her lip. "Tell me you ever loved me."_

_Crowfeather flattened his ears and looked towards his paws. "I—"_

"_Look me in the eyes!" Nightcloud suddenly shouted. "You've been lying for seasons, Crowfeather! Tell me the truth!"_

_Crowfeather flinched. Normally, Breezepelt's father was quick to exchange yowls with his mate, but perhaps the announcement had taken him off guard so much that he had no_

_will to battle with Nightcloud. Crowfeather let out a sigh. "I thought I did."_

Thought. _The word made Breezepelt's insides churn with anger. No wonder his father never paid him any attention. _No wonder he's always hated me. _Crowfeather didn't care about either of them. They were just burdens to him._

_Breezepelt sank his claws into the grass as he start to trace his memories back. When were Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze even born? He couldn't remember a time his father wasn't throwing himself into patrols to avoid Breezepelt or Nightcloud—how could he have even had time for such an affair?_

When did I see them first? _He wondered. He didn't hear his mother's reply to Crowfeather as he thought, _I know I was an apprentice… _He tried to do the math. He had first seen Jaypaw only half a moon after his own apprenticeship… and that was right after Jaypaw had been apprenticed._

_Breezepelt felt a wave of nausea. He cut off whatever Crowfeather was saying with a snarl. "You were with that medicine cat at the same time, weren't you?"_

_Nightcloud stiffened, her eyes sparking. Clearly, though angry about the revelation, she hadn't even considered the possibility. She curled her lips. "You… you always were so distant at first…"_

_Crowfeather's eyes widened. "I…"_

_Nightcloud's orange eyes blazed like fire with rage. "You _used _me!" she snarled._

"_You're disgusting!" Breezepelt hissed, his thin tail lashing back and forth. Rage and nausea bubbled up from his belly, making Breezepelt feel like he would burst._

_Crowfeather really had never wanted him… he only had a kit with Nightcloud to keep his affair secret. All of Breezepelt's worst fears and doubts—and then some—had been confirmed._

"_I didn't _use _you," Crowfeather suddenly hissed, arching his back defensively. "You practically were throwing yourself at my paws."_

_Nightcloud snarled furiously, but it was Breezepelt that lunged for Crowfeather, fire burning in his belly. He clawed at his father's face, tearing claws across his jaw. Crowfeather was so startled by the outburst that he only staggered backwards, hissing, shaking his head. A fleck of blood hit Breezepelt's nose, and he almost attacked again, lifting his paw to strike._

"_Breezepelt!" Nightcloud snapped, shouldering him aside. "Stop it!" She put herself between them, turning her back to Crowfeather. "He's still your father!"_

_Breezepelt glared past Nightcloud towards Crowfeather, who stared back at him, anger burning in his blue gaze. The younger warrior lashed his tail and curled his lip. "No, he isn't."_

Breezepelt curled his claws deeper into the earth, trying to stop himself from getting lost in the memory.

Onestar needed no fetching—he emerged from his den, likely having heard the hisses of his Clan. "What's going on?"

Crowfeather padded down the slope into camp. "We ran into a ThunderClan patrol. They said they had something important to talk to you about."

Squirrelflight lifted her tail, signaling for her patrol to wait, before she followed Crowfeather down into camp. Angry as he was, Breezepelt had to admit she had guts—Squirrelflight seemed unfazed by the suspicious stares of WindClan warriors. "Greetings, Onestar," she meowed. "I'm sorry to disturb your Clan, but I'm afraid this wasn't something that could wait for the Gathering."

Onestar narrowed his eyes in displeasure. "The Gathering is two days off," he grunted. "What's so important?"

Squirrelflight was far shorter than the WindClan leader, but she stared boldly up at him. "A ThunderClan warrior was murdered," she loudly declared, raising her voice for all in the camp to hear. "Thornclaw. We found his body in the stream."

Breezepelt bristled. _Has she come to accuse _us _of killing him? _What nerve! _Onestar should send her off with a few scratches!_

The implicit accusation wasn't lost on the rest of the Clan. "WindClan has nothing to do with his death!" Webfoot snarled. Others hissed their agreement.

Squirrelflight lashed her tail and snapped, "If Bramblestar thought you were to blame, we would be here as a battle force, _not_ a simple patrol!" She paused a moment and huffed. "There was no WindClan scent. No scent of _any_ cat, for that matter. That's why we came to speak to you—we think there might be a rogue. Possibly someone who defected after the battle. Bramblestar wanted to ask if you'd seen anything suspicious."

Onestar's eyes were still narrowed. The old leader curled his lip. "We have nothing to share with you," he growled. "Don't think I'm blind to what you're up to. You _want _proof a WindClan cat did this… and you won't get it!"

Squirrelflight furrowed her brow. "Are you listening to me? I _said_—"

"Get out!" Onestar snarled. "You've insulted my Clan enough!"

Squirrelflight bristled furiously, her green eyes wide. "Unreasonable as ever!" she growled. "Fine. Don't come begging ThunderClan for help next time you need it!" She whipped around on her paws and stormed back towards the camp exit.

"We will _never_ need ThunderClan's help again!" Onestar yowled.

Breezepelt watched Squirrelflight return to her patrol with satisfaction. _Good! _he thought. _Stay out!_ He glanced once more towards Hollyleaf, who was scowling in displeasure at the outcome of the exchange. She seemed not to have noticed Breezepelt staring at her, or at least, she didn't dignify him with a glance in return. She waited for her adoptive mother to reach the top of the slope before she turned and bounded away from the camp and out of sight.

As soon as the outsiders were gone, cats broke out into a hubbub of conversation.

"Murder?"

"Said Thornclaw was dead—"

"—Who'd kill _that _old warrior?"

"...Thinks we did it…"

"I'll claw the first ThunderClan cat that says so!"

Breezepelt growled his annoyance and bent to chew at the rabbit bone again. He had no desire to gossip with his Clanmates—not that they _would _engage with him if he tried—so their loud meows only agitated him.

Nightcloud, however, lashed her tail. "The nerve to come here and suggest we killed a ThunderClan warrior… I certainly _hope_ Onestar has something to say about it at the Gathering!"

"Who cares?" Breezepelt muttered under his breath. He certainly didn't. What did it matter if some old ThunderClanner was dead?

"Breezepelt!"

_Can't I just chew bones in peace? _Breezepelt held his tongue as he lifted his gaze to see Harespring padding towards him.

"The fresh-kill pile is running low," Harespring meowed. He was smiling as though he and Breezepelt were old friends, and it made Breezepelt want to rake his claws across the deputy's face. They hadn't been friends _before_ the Dark Forest training or even during it—his friendliness was no more than poorly-disguised pity.

Breezepelt loathed him. "What do you want me to do about it?" he grumbled. This was Harespring's way of leading—idiotic comments on the state of things with pointed smiles. It was rare for there to be a proper command, and his manner did little for him in the means of gathering respect.

"Well, I was hoping you could go hunting," Harespring carried on, as though he was discussing something as trivial as the weather. He allowed for an infuriatingly long pause, clearly hoping Breezepelt would respond. When he did not, Harespring carefully added, "Perhaps with Heathertail?"

"Heathertail!" Breezepelt hissed. "_You _go over there and _tell_ her to come hunting with me if you want it that badly. We haven't patrolled together since—!"

Harespring cut him off with a sigh. "I _know_, Breezepelt. But you've always worked well together. It would be nice if you could work something out. Onestar would appreciate it."

_Onestar?_ Breezepelt's gaze traveled over Harespring's shoulder. Sure enough, Onestar was standing by Heathertail across camp, speaking to her. Breezepelt felt the first along his spine rising as he watched them, uneasiness creeping up his nape. He wasn't sure why, but Onestar was putting Harespring up to this. _What does HE care if Heathertail and I speak? Fox-dung, can't WindClan just leave me alone?_

"You haven't got much of a choice, I'm afraid," Harespring meowed, coming dangerously close to giving Breezepelt a direct order. "Onestar wants you two to patrol together."

Breezepelt couldn't contain himself a moment longer. He lashed his tail and spat out, "Well, fox-dung, Harespring! Just _say_ that next time instead of tormenting me like a half-dead piece of prey!" He didn't wait to see Harespring's reaction, and brushed roughly past him to stomp towards Heathertail and Onestar.

"Well?" Breezepelt loudly demanded. Both Onestar and Heathertail started. Neither had seen him coming. "Are we hunting?"

Heathertail fixed her gaze on him. She was quiet for exactly one heartbeat, but it felt like a moon. Her blue gaze, normally warm and friendly, was icy. "Yes."

Onestar coughed awkwardly. "Well, very good. Off with you." His pelt was bristled in the slightest, like he was uncomfortable.

Breezepelt narrowed his eyes curiously. What exactly had Onestar been saying to Heathertail? He sniffed irritably. _If she's going to look at me like I'm a menace, I might as well act like one. _

A moon ago, Heathertail might have rolled her eyes and gave him a scathing but friendly rebuke for his attitude. Instead, she stared blankly at him. Emotionless.

Breezepelt's annoyance twisted into a bitter feeling of self-loathing. He curled his lip and stalked towards the slope that led out of camp. He didn't check over his shoulder for her.

A moon ago, Heathertail would have called him a furball and raced past him, whipping her tail against his side in a challenge for a race. Instead, she plodded silently behind him.

Breezepelt felt his heart crack a little more. He usually felt that way at least twice a day about Heathertail. He wondered briefly how much this hunting trip would hurt him.

_Does it really matter?_ He bleakly wondered. Deep down, he knew he deserved every bit of hurt Heathertail could cause him.


End file.
